Varun Chopra is to leave Warwickshire at the end of the season when his contract expires.

A club statement read: “Discussions have taken place with Varun since he took the decision to step down as captain earlier this year and, whilst everyone at the club is fully aware of his capabilities as a top-order batsman, there is also a need to look at the development of the squad in order to be able to maintain a challenge on all fronts in the coming years.

“Both parties believe that now is a good time for Varun to accept a fresh challenge and he is now able to talk to other counties in order to realise his own career ambitions.

“In the meantime, he remains fully committed to the club and will continue to perform at his best through to the end of the current season.

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“Everyone at Edgbaston would like to thank Varun for his contribution to Warwickshire CCC and Birmingham Bears over the last seven seasons.

“He will be fondly remembered by all for the role he has played, especially in the club’s first NatWest T20 Blast triumph in 2014, and wish him the very best for the future.’’

Twenty-nine-year-old Chopra joined the Bears from Essex ahead of the 2010 season and has gone on to score 6,092 runs – with 15 centuries – in first-class cricket, as well 2,116 List A runs and 1,688 runs in T20 matches.